As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. The options available to users include information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
As technology has progressed, power consumption in information handling systems such as the typical personal computer (PC) or server has increased rapidly. Within the near future, a high-performance desktop system may require more power than is available from a 15 or 20 amp alternating current (AC) wall circuit. Increased power consumption typically also causes increased heat generation, which may exceed the capacity of present air conditioning systems. Increased power consumption may also correlate to increased noise generation. Furthermore, the use of multiple information handling systems within the same area is becoming more common. For instance, several PCs may be deployed in the same room to be used by different people, or many servers may be deployed on the same server rack to work together, for example as a data processing cluster or a distributed information handling system. Increasing the concentration of systems may multiply the challenges described above, with regard to the provision of adequate power and cooling and the management of noise levels.